A Tummy Growl Is Good
A tummy growl, when occurring at the wrong time in the wrong place can be a source of embarrassment. It seems at times like the stomach is in fact an intelligent being with a mind of its own and one having a malicious streak. It will growl or make other sounds a bit louder than normal when you're with company, in the classroom, or in a meeting. A tummy growl can be a source of worry and concern. (1) Will it occur when I really hope it won't? (2) Does it mean there's something wrong with me? (3) Do other people have the same problem?
The answers to these questions are, (1) Possibly, (2) Usually Not, and (3) Yes. A tummy growl, rumble, or gurgle, is perfectly normal, and most of the time indicates that all is well. It may be an indication that you're hungry, but it can just as easily occur after a meal. Most of the time a tummy growl is part and parcel of the digestive process.
What's Happening - The digestive process is a little like squeezing toothpaste from a tube. Once food enters your mouth and you swallow it, muscle contractions force the food down into the stomach, where it is mixed with digestive juices and what ever else happens to be there. Then this mixture, by means of muscle contractions, is pushed into the intestines, and eventually what doesn't get absorbed into the body, gets pushed out your other end, sometimes to the tune of a different noise.
Food, when mixed with digestive juices, water, air, becomes a somewhat evil looking concoction, like one might expect in a witches kettle. It constantly burps, gurgles, and bubbles. Your tummy growl is like the gurgles in the witch's brew. It's a sign of work in progress.
Chyme, Peristalsis, And Borbyrygmi - Besides chyme, there are a couple of other scientific names associated with stomach growl. One is peristalsis, which sounds like a dangerous disease, but is actually the scientific name for the muscle contractions that move food, and chyme, through the digestive tract. It is largely due the peristalsis action, that air and gases get mixed in with the food and liquid, contributing to any growling you may be experiencing. Another term, borbyrygmi, means bowel sounds or tummy growl. In other words, chyme, being moved about by peristalsis, causes borbyrygmi. Moving food can be noisy.
You've no doubt heard your own tummy growl from time to time. If you can get your hands on a stethoscope and listen to your stomach, you'll find that there is something going on, at least some low level noise, almost all the time. Stand next to a horse when it’s eating, and you can hear the horse's tummy growl as the hay is moving through, and being processed by, the horse's digestive tract.
When Tummy Growl Is Not Good - A tummy growl usually is a sign that something is wrong only when some other symptom, such as abdominal pain, is present. A silent stomach is more apt to indicate the presence of disease or a disorder than is a noisy stomach, especially if there is a blockage of some sort in the digestive tract. If you think you have a stomach problem, and the doctor is listening to your stomach through a stethoscope, you can be sure he or she is hoping to hear a little tummy growl.
That Darned Chyme – When armed with the information outlined above, one can have some peace of mind in knowing that tummy growl is not an indication that anything is wrong. From a social perspective, in the presence of company, a loud tummy growl can't really be considered a good thing. But if it happens to you, just say - “There goes my chyme again”. The enlightened will understand, and sympathize.